PLEASE HELP! Going through wds... and on suboxone?

Question

Hey guys! I will start off by saying that I have been using opiates for about 3 years now. It started with vikes..then perks..then methadone and now I am a mess. My whole life has been ruined. Before the methadone I was taking 5 percocet 10mg at a time and it wasnt even giving me a buzz (This is also after being on percocet for over a year). I am a 22 year old girl and I only weigh about 120lbs... My tolerance was sky high. What made me hit rock bottom was when I got a hold of a bunch of methadone and started using that because it made me feel normal... i was taking 10-20 10mg methadone a day for the last 6-8 months. Last thurs I ran out of methadone and was using percocet to get through the withdrawals. Finally enough was enough and I got a hold of this AMAZING suboxone dr. I had my induction on Tues..but the problem was I took 5 15 mg roxies at 4 am before my induction. When I got my first 8mg dose of Sub I immediately went into precipitated (?sp?) withdrawal for about an hr... then I started to feel a little more comfortable. The comfortable feeling didnt last so I took another 8mg pill later that night. Tuesday night was the worst night of my life I did not sleep a wink I had the worst wd pains the RLS..the hot and cold flashes that run through ur body and make u feel awful and of course the diarrhea and the stomach pain (and anxiety feeling) right above my belly button. On wed my dr increased my sub to 3x a day (8mg) slowly by taking halves. STILL NO RELIEF? I slept last night maybe for 2 hrs at best and I am completely miserable. I took my sub this morning and still I am uncomfortable and miserable and I cant even take anything to relieve my twitchy legs or my anxiety belly pains or the INTENSE hot and cold flashes. I have even considered suicide (I also suffer from bipolar)..I can't do this anymore. Does anyone have any good advice? I need help before I do something that I can't take back. No one in my life understands how hard it is to feel these symptoms CONSTANTLY for days on end while I can't sleep or barely sit down. My dr will be calling me today to see how the 3X a day is doing..and I have my second appt tomorrow... but I am just not hopeful. To top things off my fiance who was my partner in crime with using..he is feeling completely normal from 2 8mg a day. He sleeps and isn't suffering at all. I am hysterically crying right now bc I can't deal anymore. PLEASE HELP!!! thank u!!

Answer

please do not do anything as cruel as suicide!!! It hurts the people you leave behind so badly, and forever! Your life may be a mess right now, but you are still young enough and obviously have the desire to get off this roller coaster. Trust me when I say that I do know exactly what you are feeling. You feel alone, miserable, ashamed, depressed, and feel that no one will forgive you for your past. Well, your wrong! I started off taking pain meds for excrutiatingly painful migraine H/A's. The headaches got worse and more frequent. The meds didn't work as well so I took more. Before I knew it I ended up in the ER on weekends hooked up to an IV of the strongest pain meds that exist. Pretty soon my job is suffering, my family is falling apart, and I wake up one day and think that my only way out is suicide. Luckily my husband didn't agree. He took me to a detox facility where I stayed and went through hell for two weeks.

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By the time they let me out I was begging for help. Detox facilities are all about money and power over the patients. I speak as a former patient, and a Nurse. I guess I've always had more compassion for people than most nurses. most people don't understand just how easy it is to fall prey to these drugs. You start off innocently and before you know it 20 yrs. Has gone by. Anyhow, what I'm trying to say is that it can happen to anybody and it does! Hang in there kiddo, help is out there. I researched for a Suboxone clinic in my area, and believe it or not, most doctors have never even heard of it. I got the info from another nurse in my family. The clinic I go to is very expensive as they all are. And unfortunately, most insurance companies do not pay for it or your medication. here's the ironic part, my insurance co. Was always willing to pay for 120 Lortab a month, plus 60 OxyContin to go with it, but not for the Suboxone treatment!! Can you believe it? Well, I kept fighting for it and eventually, after I paid for the first visit of $250.00 plus the $573.00 for a one month supply of medication, they finally agreed to pay for it. Thank God, because who can afford it otherwise? However, if you are willing to pay for the drugs, pay for the treatment and get your life back. You can do it!No one ever understood what I was talking about when I would describe that awful feeling of anxiety in my stomach. But you do. I would hear, just stop taking the meds, what is the problem? Not so easy is it? I promise you will get through this. I take two tablets of 8mg tabs each day. I have been clean for over a year now, but I continue to take the Suboxone because believe it or not it helps with migraine pain. Fortunately, I do not get them often anymore. But I will probably stay on this medication forever because I finally have my life back and I want to keep it!! please keep trying. I'm going to work in a drug abuse facility now so that I can get the word out there that there is a better way. People need to be educated. Methadone was worse than the OxyContin!! It doesn't help. Suboxone does, if you follow the directions and never, ever look back. Give it another try. If you take it right after you took something like methadone, or oxycontin it will immediately put you into withdrawals. You need a ten day detox first, before taking Suboxone. Then when you take it you will be alright. I sleep better now than I ever have. please don't give up on yourself. You are worth saving, your not a bad person, you just got caught up in a vicious cycle. Hope this helps!! Nikki. for two weeks

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first i see its been 6 months since u posted this, are you still on the subs? and if so i may be able to help. ive been on subs for 3 years and when i tried to stop the withdrawal was just as bad as when i was doing oxys and etc... anyways, im free and done with it all, i found a way to get off suboxone completely but its gonna take some work,mostly mentaly, but the horrible dope sick feeling I thought i was going to have to go through didnt happen, it still sucked but supprisingly not bad at all, you just have to do it the right way. i have the list of meds and vitamins that will help BIG TIME!! i never was a believer in vitamins too much probably cause you dont feel anything from them l.o.l. so i had no idea in what they were doing. Anyways im still in shock i havent taken any subs in over a month and im back to normal, cause i thought i would never get off that shit. If you still want my story how i got off them hit me back.

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I am going to be honest with you I have had to be on  pain meds  for longer than you many times I have made the choice to stop them because of the weird feelings I have had, like you I almost gave up I have had twitching, sneezing, diarrhea, vomiting seizures only to name a start Please don't do something that you can't take back you are stronger than it feel like you are if things don't improve talk with the doctor I fully believe where there is a will there is a way, going through this will make you a stronger person and you will be able to encourage others you are important please please don't give up

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I haven't read any of the other responses, but I have been on Suboxone for a year and still have the same issues you mention (but for me it goes in waves... every two weeks I'm in wd), but I'm not taking anything except suboxone. I wonder if some people just CANNOT tolerate the narcan in the suboxone. I've asked my doc to put me on subutex, but she will not. I hope you have found relief!
Take care!!

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For me It took about 2-3 days for the suboxone to fully get in my system. Best of luck hope your through your WD's now! Im suffering over here bc Im out of my Subs.

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Well here is the honest to god truth. I have been off opiates for 2 months now and I am still not feeling completely normal but I feel amazing compared to how I used to feel. I started using heroin first. I smoked it first then starting shooting it for about a year. I wanted desperately to get off it so I tried without any help and I started to go crazy. I went to the Emergency Room so many times it was ridiculous. Finally a doctor prescribed me Clonidine. That worked very well and my withdrawal symptoms went away all together. Well I started using again and then trying to get off. I was losing a lot of sleep. I became so depressed I jumped off a building and destroyed my whole body. I shattered my pelvis, broke a few places in my back, shattered both of my heels and almost lost a foot. When I was in the hospital recovering they prescribed me Methadone for the pain. I fell love with that drug. I felt absolutely awesome.

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The funny thing is I never even abused it, I took exactly what the doctor prescribed me. When it came time to get off it 2 months later I did what the doctor told me and I tapered off it gradually exactly the way the doctor said to. I had been taking 10 mgs. 3 times a day. I got down to 5 mgs a day and that's when I started feeling the withdrawals. The worst part for me was the anxiety in my chest, that feeling like you can't breath very well and your chest is sputtering out of control, and you just can't sit still. It's like being trapped in your own personal hell and it drives you crazy. Well I had another surgery coming up so I was just trying to tough it out until then. I smoked a lot of pot and tried to surround myself with my friends and car rides always helped, the motion is soothing. Basically a huge distraction to get your mind off the anxiety helps a little. I went in for my next surgery and I was in the hospital for a month. During this time the doctors put me on 75 mgs. of fletanol. Of course that helped to get rid of the Methadone withdrawals. Once it was time to get off the fletanol, they tapered me down to 25 mgs. and that's when the withdrawals started back up just as intense as before. I also was layed up in a hospital bed unable to move so that made it so much worse. The doctors made me got through 4 agonizing days of withdrawal and then I was prescribed Suboxone. That helped me a lot. I was released home and I took the Suboxone for awhile. However I started to get very sick feeling all the time from it. The taste of it sometimes would cause me to vomit. I felt nauseous all the time. It was awful. I decided I needed to get off the Suboxone once and for all. I had only been on it for a month so I figured it wouldn't be all that difficult. I tapered myself over like a 2 or 3 week period which is a very short time. The withdrawals were horrible, not as bad as the Methadone withdrawals but still quite horrible. I couldn't sleep, couldn't sit still and I was sweating constantly but freezing at the same time. I had diarrhea for 3 weeks straight. I felt awful and thought about locking myself in a nutward because no rehab facilities would take me because of my gimp foot which had a lot of plastic surgery performed on it. I decided I was going to have to do this all on my own and I kept telling myself that the pain will eventually go away. It can't last forever. I told myself the pain is just an illusion. Well I made it... It is 2 months later and I am just starting to feel normal again. I still have minor withdrawal symptoms here and there. The anxiety happens in little spurts and the cold sweats come here and there but it is such an improvement. I just want you to know it is hell and it will be hell for a very long time but if you make the descision to get off opiates you have to stay strong and believe me it is harder then it sounds. You have to be very determined and don't bother counting down the days. It will take a very long time so counting the days makes it feel longer. Distract yourself in whatever way you can. Sleeping is still an issue for me. I have been on every sleeping pill imaginable and I abused the hell out of them. They never worked so I made up my mind to just deal with the sleepless nights. Listen to good music. It helps a little. Write in a journal and document your progress. That might help too. You can try to read but I never could sit still enough to focus. You can try breathing excersises but those never worked for me either. Try sucking on strong coughdrops. Those help the anxiety a little. Trust me. Keep a lot of blankets nearby and bundle up when those coldsweats come. I wish you the best of luck. Write back if you or anyone else has any questions. I will try to help if I can. Another thing... Withdrawals can make you feel like commiting suicide. I jumped off a building and I survived it. It is 6 months later and I still can't walk. Take my advice don't try to kill yourself!!!

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I also was on percocet 10mg for 4 years and it took over my life,friends,family and my 3 children. I was always scared that my children would find me dead in the bed from an overdose. I would wake up in the middle of the night and had to catch my breath. The pills took over my life & took all my money and families money. When I ran out of pills I did not care who I hurt nor did I care about anything but getting pills for my fix. My daughter takes ADHD meds and one morning when I was giving her her ADHD meds she looked at me and said look mom I take pills just like you, I about died when she told me that and I did not want her to turn out like me. My oldest son is 13 and he told me that he hated that I am on pills and told me I was going to die. My youngest boy is to young to understand what was going on.

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Thats when I hit rock bottom and I found a website about suboxone and filied out my info and I had about 6 doctors who contact me by email and thats where I found my doctor. He put me on suboxrone 8mg/2mg 3 times a day and also did not work. I went to his office 4 times within 10 days and I am on 4 a day but I did go through withdraws & still do but has gotten alot better. My first 7 days was hell, I had hot & cold flashes,my knees ached,I was real dizzy for 7 days and felt I could not move on but I prayed and said no I am going to do this, today is 32 days without a pill. And I feel more alive and can see life so much different then I did 32 days ago. The suboxrone do help and everyone is different. Also my husband used pills with me and now he takes suboxone as well and he feels great and I felt like my world was ending and know one understood. But I have been on pills for 4 years & he has been on for 1 year. That makes a big differents. My doctor told me that withdraws can last up to 3 months and I will have to be on suboxrone for 6 months to a year. But my withdraws has gotten a lot better but I still ache after 5 hours when I need to take another one. Addition is real powerful and our bodies and mind are use to taking large amount of pills so when we take suboxrone 3 to 4 times a day our body wants more and wants that high level and suboxone only gives you that middle high and that is why we go through what we are going through. But once your body gets use to the suboxone you will feel like a new person. So please do not give up, you will get there, it will not last forever. Thank you & I hope this helped.

Votes: +3

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Ugh, your words take me back... The thing that makes me really sad in your story is where you say that your whole life has been ruined. You are really, really young. You are taking a big step which is getting stable. You cannot do much in life when your running around chasing your next fix and letting all the other things fall apart. Listen, I felt just like you when I quit drinking, not physically but mentally. Everyone hated me, or so I thought. Nobody trusted me or believed I could keep away from the alcohol. Meetings saved my soul. Nobody judged me there. It felt like I had been given a dose of something very powerful, even though I only had coffee and a cookie. I think it was a dose of empathy and fellowship. I leaned on those women until I suddenly noticed it had been 30 days, then 60 days, then 90 days, etc. that I hadn't touched booze. My family and 'normal' friends starting believing in me and it turns out they did love me all along.

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My life wasn't ruined. You will be surprised how fast you can get your life back on track when you are in your right mind and making good decisions. I haven't had a single drop of alcohol in 5+ years. You have to just take my word for it when I say your life isn't ruined. If you really stick with it and stay on the straight and narrow path, you can do and be anything if life. If that sounds corny, I'm sorry, but I promise you it's true. The sky is still the only limit for you. If I was there, I'd give you a hug. As far as the Sub goes, I've been on it for years. You will level out completely. It sounds like your initial experience was a nightmare. That's not the way it will be in the future at all!! So, get excited, because now your life is really going to start!

Votes: +5

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I came upon this message 1 week after you posted it. The advice someone posted for you was exactly right. I hope you're still hanging in there. I am 33 and I've been on almost every type of opiate there is for Juvenile Rheumatiod Arthrirtis, Osteoporosis, Neuropathy, Fibromyalgia, etc... I have been abusing opiates since I was a young teen. The withdrawal symptoms you described, I totally understand. The, can't sit still, can't eat' can't sleep, hot flashes, the runs and the chills. Your pain multiplies by 10 and your anxiety skyrockets. I am in the process of trying to straighten out my life. I live in a Nursing Home so it makes doing the right thing extra hard. Unfortunately my doctor's don't want to work with me. So much so that I'm looking to be transfered to a different facility. I have a medical need for pain control but teaching myself to deal with the pain instead of popping another pill is the problem. You're more than welcome to get in contact with me if you need someone who understands to talk to.

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likely the roxy for sure. you CAN NOT mix the two. you have to be well into withdrawal 18 to 24 hours at minimum before you begin the subutex or Suboxone and you cant mix anything after you begin them or you will get an accellortated and stronger withdrawal experience as your having. immediate relief is hard to come by but keep liquids in your system, try something to help you sleep through it. Ambien or whatever, and dont mix the two ever again. it is instant death feeling. ive been there. keeping your room dark may help to with light sensitivity. sometimes raising your dosageof SX does not help, it makes it worse. its not like the roxy or whatever where if a few is good a few more is better. the goal is to find the dose to ease your wd and not to go above that thinking it will help. it likely wont. it will likely make you feel worse. then you have to worry about how to ween off of it.

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find the right dose of which ever one subutex or Suboxone and stick to the plan on decreasing dosage until finished. and you need to finish it. all the way down to an eighth of a pill. i couldnt believe it till i experienced it. dont take to much or to little. it will only make your life worse. trust me, i have tried everything to beat a 1500 to 2000mg a day habit of oxy n roxy for the last 3 years. S and S are two drugs you simply have to follow the program from start to finish without deviation. it sux i know and it makes you feel as though your the only one to ever had to deal with such hell but your definitely not cause ive been there myself and you will survive just remember this misery the next time you want to try it again. just aint worth it.

Votes: +4

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Hun you need to wait at least 12 hours and going through. WithDraw first that how I did it 2 days No symptoms yeey believe. Me I know what you are going through! I'm 25 and 10 years of this is enough

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forgot to add babe, for some reason, (prob cos they'll never go thru childbirth!!), guys always seem to have an easier time than us; I do beleive there is a medical reason for this, just don't expect him to have the same experiences as you/us... it really is true, I got sick to death of guys saying, stop moaning, I'M OK!! we're all different, we're all facing our own demons. You know what, I have a daughter your age, thank the lord she's seen the mess I made, & will never touch drugs, it's prob made her hard, I'm not getting the support I'd wish for, but hell, she didn't ask to be mine, she's not my mum! As long as you ask for support, "F" the pro's... the only pro's are us, cos we bought the Tshirt...

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I'm gonna try & mark you a friend, only joined this site yesterdy, & not the best on a comp, so may take a day, but sometimes, the best way to beat this is to try & support another, the feedback gives you hope, & strength... it takes one to know one babe. tell me anything you want, as I hope I can do with you... go girl, I beleive in you, otherwise you wouldn't even be bothering to write me!!! Hugs again... we all need mates xx

Votes: +2

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First, you have NOT ruined your life!!! You can turn it around, I've just given up  heroin  after 21years, YES, years on it. Ok, I never fixed, but I've been every bit an addict all that time. I agree with others bout NA & AA... if it works for you , fine, but I think this site can prob help you more. One thing that helps me is just knowing that we're all fighting the same demons, & we've got to help each other. I'm only 8 days on subbies, so not up to writing too much yet, but I'll keep an eye on you! Love, hugs, & loads o luck.xxx

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Sounds like you are taking too much! Thats why your fiance' is feeling ok.
I kicked a massive habit started on 2, 8mg. a day. on day 3 I dropped to 1/2 a pill 2 times a day. methocarbamol is great for twitch and RLS! Try much less. It couldn't hurt. It worked for my friends too.

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Talk about some amazing strength and advice from some kind peeps. I agree. It is the hardest first week ever and before long it is looking back as if, ya I could eat a 40mg oxy and clean house and be fine, now if I ate a 20 I'd pass out and be toast. It gives you a different perspective when someone else has to go thru it also. It is hard to be strong when it is a weakness in itself. The mind is a powerful thing and for some reason I allowed mine to overcome the struggle. I didnt think I would live to tell about it, shakes and misery wanting the stupid nights to go by faster. It IS ALL WORTH IT IN THE END I PROMISE. You will look back and see the post and think oh look and I am five months off of the opiods. Or in my case~ 9months... you can do it!!Best wishes to you and a quick detox... chat me if you need any support!!!

PLEASE HELP! Going through wds... and on suboxone?

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